Authors: Paula Harrison
The Rainbow Opal (5 page)
Chapter Eight
Summer, Lottie and Rosalind crept downstairs, found their shoes and slipped out of the front door. Then Lottie switched on the torch that she’d brought and lit their way across the palace lawn. Their pyjama legs brushed against the wet grass. Rosalind carried the home-made fishing net.
Summer stopped at the gate and looked back at the palace. There was a faint light at her bedroom window. Maya would be
inside, looking after Custard. Her throat tightened. She’d never seen an animal look so ill.
Lottie opened the gate. “We got out without anyone hearing us. Now we just have to find that opal!”
“Let’s just hope we can reach the jewel with the fishing net,” said Rosalind.
The forest felt different in the dark. Fluttering sounds came from overhead, and Summer couldn’t tell if it was a night bird or just the wind in the trees. There was a scuffling on the ground and a pair of little yellow eyes blinked at them for a moment, then they were gone.
“Shall I go first?” said Summer. “I know the way to the river really well.”
“OK, lead the way.” Lottie handed her the torch and they went through the trees one behind the other.
They heard the roaring of the river
before they could see it. Summer knew from the noise that the creek was still swollen with rain from the storm.
Slithering down the bank, she searched for the place where she’d stood that afternoon – the place where she’d dropped the necklace.
Then she saw footprints in the mud. Yes, this was where they’d been. She remembered the trees opposite and the shape of the bank. She shone the torch at the water. “I can’t see anything. Maybe the necklace was washed along before it sank.”
“But it looked like it sank straightaway,” said Rosalind.
Summer frowned. “I thought it did too, but the river’s flowing so fast right now. I think it may have got pushed along.”
The girls scrambled through the woods, following the flow of the river. In many
places the trees grew right down to the edge of the water, making it hard to walk along the bank.
“These silly branches are in the way!” said Lottie, pushing them aside roughly.
“Hey! You’re making them ping back at me!” said Rosalind crossly.
“I didn’t mean to,” began Lottie. “It’s just—”
“Wait! What’s that?” Rosalind pointed at the other side of the river.
“It’s the moonlight shining on the water,” said Lottie.
Summer peered across the river and her heart skipped. There was a dot of white light in the water, close to the opposite bank. As they watched, it flickered and changed to a warm gold, then it became a cool icy green.
“That
isn’t
just the moonlight!” breathed Summer. “That’s magic!”
“But is it the rainbow opal?” said Rosalind. “It’s hard to see!”
The girls got as close to the water’s edge as they could and Summer shone the torch across the river.
“Those colours are amazing! It must be the opal.” Summer watched the light change from a dazzling blue to a deep fiery red.
“I think I can see the chain of the necklace,” said Lottie. “Look!” She took the torch from Summer and shone the beam upwards a little. There, caught on a low-hanging branch just above the water, was the glittering gold chain.
“We won’t be able to reach it with this.” Rosalind held up the fishing net. “The river’s too wide. How can we get over to the other side, Summer? Is there a bridge?”
Summer bit her lip. “There is. But it’s
further along the river and it would take us too long to find it.”
“Maybe we could use a boat,” suggested Lottie.
“The river current’s really strong,” said Summer. “We’d float away down the river as soon as we set off.” She frowned, thinking hard. “There
must
be a way to get over!”
“Stilts?” said Lottie, her eyes gleaming. “Or we could make our own rope bridge?”
“Rope! I tied some rope to a tree near here a few days ago,” said Summer. “I was using it as a swing.”
Taking the torch back from Lottie, she scrambled up the bank and searched the trees. She’d chosen a tall one with sturdy branches to hang the rope on. It dangled there, swaying slightly in the wind.
“I don’t think a rope bridge will work,”
she told the others. “But maybe one of us could swing across on the rope.”
“Great idea! We need to tie it to a tree right next to the creek,” said Rosalind.
Summer handed Lottie the torch and shinned quickly up the tree. She sat with her legs dangling on either side of the branch, struggling to undo the rope knot. “I tied it really tight so that it didn’t slip off while I was swinging,” she called down to the others.
At last the knot came undone and Summer let the rope drop to the ground before climbing back down the tree trunk.
“Here’s a good tree,” Rosalind called from the edge of the riverbank. “It’s got really flat branches and it looks like it’s strong.”
Lottie and Summer ran to join her and Lottie shone the torch up at the tree.
“That’s great!” Summer climbed up and tied the rope firmly to the branch. “Pull on it – see if I’ve tied the knot properly.”
Rosalind pulled the rope, then she tried dangling from it with the fishing net in one hand. “It feels strong to me. So who’s going to swing over?”
Summer climbed back down and the three girls exchanged looks.
“I don’t mind swinging across …” began Summer.
“No, it can’t be you,” said Lottie firmly. “Whoever goes across will be stuck there. They’ll have to walk along to the bridge to get back. We need you here so that you can find a quick way back through the woods to the palace. You’re the one that knows the way. Custard’s life could depend on it.”
“So will you swing over?” asked Summer.
Lottie nodded. “I’ll do it.”
“Hold on a minute,” said Rosalind. “If you swing across and then you’re stuck on the other side, how do we get the rainbow opal back to Custard?”
“I’ll throw it across to you,” said Lottie.
“But if it drops in the river we’ll be right back where we started,” said Rosalind.
“Don’t worry – I’ve got an idea.” Summer turned away from the river and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Kanga? Can you hear me?”
There was a long silence. Then they heard the whirr of wings and there was a flash of blue and yellow feathers in the darkness.
Chapter Nine
Kanga landed on Summer’s shoulder and she patted his wings. “Good boy, Kanga! I know you don’t like flying in the dark.” She turned to Lottie. “When you get hold of the necklace, I’ll send Kanga across. He’ll collect it from you and bring it back to us. Here, take the torch. You’ll need it to find your way to the bridge.”
“Thanks!” Lottie put the torch in her pyjama pocket. Then she took hold of the rope and climbed to the top of the
bank. “Watch out, everyone! I’m going to swing.”
“Wait!” Rosalind hurried over and gave her the home-made fishing net. “Take this as well! You might need it to reach the necklace.”
Lottie held the net in one hand and the rope in the other, and took an enormous leap off the top of the riverbank. She swung across the fast-flowing river, her feet skimming over the water.
Summer held her breath, hoping that the rope would take Lottie all the way across. But the other girl gave a shriek and there was a splash as she landed in the water near the opposite bank. She jumped up and waved to them, only up to her ankles in water. “It’s all right!” she called to them. “This part is quite shallow. I’ll be able to get the necklace easily.”
She waded towards the glowing light made by the opal, but the river became deeper and she had to climb back on to the bank.
Summer and Rosalind watched anxiously. “Try using the net,” shouted Rosalind.
Lottie crouched down and stretched the fishing net towards the necklace. She dipped the net into the water to scoop out the opal and then jiggled the branch where the chain was caught. At last the necklace fell into the net, caught by the frilly material.
“She did it!” cried Summer, and Kanga gave a happy squawk.
Lottie pulled the necklace out of the net and held it up to show them. The rainbow opal dangled on the end of the chain and its ever-changing colours glowed brightly in the dark.
“Now, Kanga,” said Summer urgently. “Please could you fly over and bring the necklace back to us?”
Kanga flew straight over to Lottie and took the necklace chain in his beak. Then he hopped on to her arm and spread his wings to fly back again.
“He understood you,” said Rosalind, amazed.
Summer smiled. “He’s always been a very clever bird.”
The rainbow opal shone as Kanga swooped back across the river. He dropped the jewel into Summer’s hand and settled on a tree branch.
“Thank you, Kanga!” said Summer, beaming. “Lottie! You need to go that way to get to the bridge.” She pointed up the river. “You won’t get lost if you follow the creek.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got the torch so I’ll
be fine. I’ll meet you back at the palace,” called Lottie.
Summer climbed up the riverbank holding the bright opal in the palm of her hand. The jewel shone with a warm orange light and then flickered and turned to a deep, mysterious purple.
Rosalind clambered up behind her. “That jewel’s amazing!” She watched as it changed colour. “It shines much brighter than the jewels in our rings. That must mean the magic inside is really strong.”
“I hope so.” Summer thought of poor Custard. Everything depended on the jewel being able to help him. Reaching the top of the bank, she started to run.
The two girls raced through the trees together. The leaves and branches glowed with the light from the jewel. Summer thought how strange it was to see the wood lit up by one colour after another.
It felt as if they were running through an enchanted forest.
She stopped at the back gate and fumbled with the catch. Rosalind looked up at the palace and noticed an anxious face at Summer’s bedroom window. “There’s Maya!” she said, pointing.
Maya waved frantically at them before disappearing.
A cold feeling spread through Summer’s insides. “She’s trying to send us a message. Something must be wrong!”
They dashed across the garden into the palace and ran up the dark stairs. Summer opened her bedroom door and her chest tightened. She tried to get her breath back so that she could speak. “How … how is he, Maya?”
“He got worse after you left.” Maya held the little koala very tightly and her dark eyes were sad. “He became quite floppy. I tried to get him to drink some more milk from the bottle, but he wouldn’t.”
Summer stroked Custard’s fluffy middle. She felt his chest rise and fall very slightly as he breathed. His head rested on Maya’s arm.
“But you’ve found the rainbow opal,” said Maya. “So everything will be all right, won’t it?”
Summer opened her hand to reveal the opal necklace and rainbow light burst across the dark room. “I hope so. It’s just … my dad’s story didn’t tell us how the healing powers work or what we have to do.”
“Try hanging it round his neck,” said Rosalind.
So Summer carefully looped the chain of the necklace over Custard’s head. The chain was much too long for him. It dangled down so that the shining opal
lay against his little legs.
The princesses waited, hardly daring to breathe as they watched the jewel. Kanga flew in through the open window and watched too. The opal turned a deep sapphire blue then changed to pale yellow.
“Amazing!” whispered Maya. “All the colours of the rainbow one by one.”
Custard’s nose twitched and he gave a whimper.
Rosalind frowned. “Nothing’s happening! Why isn’t it working?”
“Maybe we just need to wait,” said Summer anxiously. “Perhaps it takes time for the opal to make him better.”
The minutes ticked by. Kanga stayed quiet, watching with beady eyes. Maya sat down on the bed with Custard on her lap. Summer knelt down next to her, staring at the baby koala and hoping for
a sign that he felt well again. Custard closed his eyes and his head flopped against Maya’s arm.
“This is no good,” said Rosalind at last. “We must have done something wrong.”
Summer pushed her hand through her golden hair. “But how? I just don’t know what else to do!” She picked up the opal and held it closer to the little koala’s chest.
Custard opened his little eyes wide and watched the jewel change colour.
“Please get better, Custard!” said Maya softly.
Custard gazed steadily at the rainbow opal. Then suddenly he leaned forward and licked it.
Summer gasped. “Custard! You funny little thing!”